Happy Anniversary (to me)

August 9, 2010 - John Mehno

Sunday was the 46th anniversary of the first major league game I ever attended:

Cubs at Pirates on a Saturday afternoon at Forbes Field.

Final: Pirates 5, Cubs 2.

Winning pitcher: Bob Veale. Losing pitcher: Lou Burdette.

Home runs for the Pirates by Bob Bailey and Gene Freese.

My ticket cost 80 cents.

If I live to be 100 (that's two years from now, by the way), I'll never forget walking into the ballpark that day and being blown away by the first sight of a major league field. On that day, the Pirates were fresh from a Friday night doubleheader loss to the Cubs and were in fourth place, 6.5 games out of first place.

Forty-six years later, I've been to more than 2,500 games and we're now on the second park to follow Forbes Field. I can't lie and say that it packs the same thrill it did in 1964, but I still enjoy going to the ballpark.

By the way, there were five future Hall of Fame players in that game: Ernie Banks and Billy Williams for the Cubs, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Bill Mazeroski for the Pirates.